This is a pretty cool article showing how many states are growing hops, or planning to start hop farms, to keep pace. Not just primarily the PNW anymore :
I know of one that’s not on the list, according to some of my friends there’s a new farm not far from my house. Supposedly they’re under contract to a local MD brewery, I’d guess Scorpion since they have such a focus on local ingredients.
Most of what I have read pins it to the desire to buy locally sourced ingredients. Didn’t New York just pass a law giving breaks to those that source locally?
Hadn’t heard that specifically about New York. Makes sense. Aside from that, it’s probably a good thing to have more suitable areas growing hops - lessens the impact (somewhat) of a major hop loss due to weather. Of course the PNW still grows the lion’s share by far. Cool to see more hop farms regardless.
Here is a link to one in Iowa.
Here is an article regarding Vermont doing something similar to what New York is doing. They get a break if they grow 20% of the ingredients and source another 30% locally. Farm Brewers license.
That’s pretty rad Cedar Falls has a hop farm. I can’t run 10 miles in any direction without going past one now. When I started growing my own I couldn’t understand why there more out there. On a whole they are a pretty hearty plant. My ignorance, neglect and two dogs haven’t killed off a single one yet, although it isnt from lack of trying.
Good article.
Great article. I really need to name my farm.
I expect to see the number of hop farms in Colorado grow considerably, especially in the northern part of the state. The buy local movement is fairly strong in the state and there are lots of breweries to buy up the hops.
I think the interesting thing about Colorado hop farms
is that they are largely supported by MillerCoors - for Colorado Native.
Still…lots of poles and wires going up again here on the Western Slope.